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 Canadian Medical Schools under Pressure to Drop Animal Labs
Following the investigation, journalist Nicholas Read reported in the Vancouver Sun that the University of British Columbia (UBC) requires third-year undergraduate pre-medical students to perform tracheotomies, suturing, IV placement, and other invasive procedures on live pigs. Dean John Cairns, M.D., of UBC responded, saying the school is reviewing the use of animals for surgical training and that the faculty has reduced its use of live animals as periodic reviews have identified more effective teaching methods. He noted, for example, "Observation is a critical component in training surgeons. The telesurgery program we developed affords enhanced remote observation opportunities, and to more students, than traditional instruction." Several UBC students, unaware of the upcoming lab, responded with concern about the unnecessary cruelty. What You Can Do Please write to Dean Cairns, urging him to discontinue all live animal labs in favor of modern alternative teaching methods. John A. Cairns, M.D. Canadian Medical Schools That Do Not Use Live Animals
Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty of Medicine Queen's University School of Medicine Université Laval Faculty of Medicine University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine University of Western Ontario Medical School This Just In: University Medical Center Drops Dog Lab PCRM fought an 18-month-long battle with Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center over a gruesome lab exercise in which medical students were asked to cut the nipple from a live dog and then sew it back on, supposedly as a way to learn simple surgical techniques. The dogs were then killed. We sent our doctors to the school with extensive information on nonanimal training methods, finally convincing them to drop the animal lab altogether. |
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Last October, PCRM
surveyed Canada's 16 medical schools to see whether live animal laboratories were still
part of the curriculum. Results revealed that 11 schools provide cruelty-free education
and use modern alternatives to animal experimentation, 3 continue to use animals despite
growing public opposition to such practices, and 2 did not complete the survey.